Chapter 44

Hiss—

Cheng Ziming had seen many big scenes in his years of work, but he had never seen anything like this!

The small lake surface seemed to boil over, with fish swimming back and forth one after another; Cheng Ziming almost heard the huffing and puffing sounds, as fish after fish rushed to the spot Ling Yue had prepared, their flat, round mouths opening: 'Puff puff puff—'

It was like the pea shooter in Plants vs. Zombies, firing weapons with puff puff puff; such an amusing scene, Cheng Ziming didn't laugh—instead he shivered violently.

What the heck is this. JPG

Don't want to laugh anymore. JPG

The pea shooter shoots peas, but what are you spitting out? Corpse chunks! Bones!

Soon, the icy white chunks of flesh piled up into a small hill.

The water's edge became crowded because there were too many fish.

A greedy big fat fish took over the shore, spat out a bone and didn't leave, but kept flapping its fins against the bank: 'yue~yue~'

The other fish couldn't stand it, they slapped its fat tail: 'What are you spitting out? You're blocking the way!'

Big fat fish: 'yue!'

Chunks of meat kept popping out of its mouth, the fish opening and closing its mouth proudly: 'How about that?'

'What's the big deal about carrying one piece at a time? I just swallowed several mouthfuls; anyway, it's all meat chunks—what's the difference between spitting them out and yue-ing them out? This way I can transport even more at once!'

Other fish: '……'

Ling Yue, hearing this: '……'

You really are a little clever ghost. JPG

Suddenly, the water surface churned, and everyone watched wide-eyed as a bright yellow plastic bag floated up, beneath it a string of large black fish.

'Brothers and sisters, charge! Give it your all!'

'Wuu wuu wuu, it's so heavy, so heavy— for food, we're giving it our all!'

'Ooo ooo ooo, move aside, we can't hold on any longer!'

Even so, the fish weren't lagging behind; dozens of them exerted force at once, as if fitted with tiny motors, the corpse bag shooting toward the shore at great speed.

Ling Yue glanced at the dazed officers and reminded: 'Cough cough, who's going to pick up the bag?'

Everyone snapped to attention, quick-eyed and quick-handed, they grabbed onto the shore; just as they approached, a strong stench hit their noses, and in the end, after subtracting what the fish had eaten, the corpse chunks and bones they found filled half a sack,

Those meat fragments weren't the worst; most shocking was that the victim's entire skeleton had been chopped into fragments. Why say that? Because Ling Yue, looking at the bone cross-sections, saw irregular shapes and white bones that had been half-cut then split open.

Lin Shaoze walked over, examined carefully, and said in an icy voice: 'It should be that after death, someone used a blunt instrument to hack them apart—like an axe or a cleaver…'

He described it slowly and deliberately, the reconstructed murder scene vivid before their eyes—thud—thud—thud—

In the deep night of a quiet mountain village, on a dim candlelit road, someone wielded a large cleaver and hacked down fiercely on the corpse!

A gust of yin wind blew past, many people shivered, Ling Yue seemed to sense something, and she met a pair of gray-white eyes.

The female water ghost lay near the shore, her voice faint: 'No… not like this…'

'The big cleaver… when I was alive… they used a cleaver… to split me alive…'

Ling Yue's gaze lingered on the woman for a long time before she turned away; the female water ghost remained floating by the shore, her gray-white pupils fixed intently on her.

At that moment, Lin Shaoze had already led his subordinates to prepare DNA testing; this place was a remote mountain wilderness with no surveillance, so they could only check nearby villages, run DNA tests, and confirm the victim's identity.

After completing these steps, it would take about one or two days, and the killer would very likely destroy all evidence during that time—or simply flee.

Ling Yue looked at Lin Shaoze: 'I know the place.'

Tang Family Village.

This is a small village at the foot of Xiaoqing Mountain, outside Jing Shi; coincidentally, Xiaoqing Mountain is part of the Mianyun Mountain Range, right next to the hill where the body was found, not far off—about a four-hour round trip on foot.

When they went, it was evening, not yet mealtime; most villagers were outside cooling off, and suddenly seeing so many police enter the village startled them.

At the village entrance, a few elderly women instinctively grabbed their stools and headed back, hunched over, skin and bones.

Those a bit younger, in their fifties or sixties, saw them arrive, eyes widened, and their voices grew much softer.

'Police… comrades, how did you come here?'

Not long after Lin Shaoze entered the village, a middle-aged man with a Mediterranean hairstyle rushed over, panting as he introduced himself: 'Hello, I'm the village head of Tang Family Village.'

Lin Shaoze was brief, getting straight to the point: 'We're police, here to investigate the case.'

'Has anyone in your village gone missing recently? Or hasn't shown up for a few days?'

The village head stared, seeing the badge on his chest, his eyes widened, and he shook his head firmly: 'No! Our village is tiny; we definitely haven't lost anyone.'

Beside her, Ling Yue slightly furrowed her brows and spoke at the right moment: 'It seems news spreads quickly in your village—you know exactly who's missing or not.'

The village head seemed to notice her only then, glanced at her and quickly looked away, as if his eyes were scorched, and he chuckled: 'Ah, it's because our village is small—if the eastern family drops a needle, the western family eats a chunk of meat, within half a day everyone's talking about it; even if I don't want to hear, I have to.'

Saying that, he bent at the waist and asked: 'Police comrade, what exactly is going on? Did something happen?'

Lin Shaoze: 'A fragmented corpse was found on Daqing Mountain; all surrounding villages need to be investigated. As for what you just said, hearsay is false, seeing is believing.'

'Take me to the village office; you few, go into the village.'

The village head, looking frightened, led the way, not daring to say much, and gave a brief introduction: it really is a small village, with only seventy or eighty households total, making a living by digging medicinal herbs in the mountains.

In the village, small brick houses are everywhere, their walls mottled and peeling, the colors faded; it's hard to believe that in this day and age such a place still exists.

Ling Yue didn't go with Lin Shaoze to investigate; instead she followed two others. Along the way, they saw many young men staring intently at them, and when asked if anyone had gone missing from their families, each shook their head.

The leads seemed to end there, and the two officers felt disheartened. Everyone was cooperative, but their uniform responses gave them a gut feeling that something was off, yet they couldn't find a solution.

The soft nails they bumped into weren't a big problem for Ling Yue.

She simply waved her hand, and with the help of Da Lao Hu Junjun, the female water ghost was brought back, her usually expressionless face showing emotion for the first time.

Astonishment, shock!

She thought she'd have to stay in the lake forever, her damp clothes seemingly still dripping.

The female ghost could not control her emotions, letting out wailing sobs that stirred gusts of yin wind, her back chilled; intense resentment made her begin to swell, like an endlessly inflating balloon ready to burst at any moment.

Ling Yue flicked a glance like a blade at her: 'Do you still want revenge?'

The balloon instantly deflated; the woman looked at her pleadingly. The feeling of being forcibly suppressed just now made her feel very uncomfortable, yet instinctively she knew she couldn't beat her.

She only felt hatred; she hated so much!

Ling Yue: "Take me to your house, find evidence."

The woman stayed still, and Ling Yue realized she seemed dazed; suddenly she remembered that when a person dies they become a ghost, but a newly formed ghost can sometimes suffer amnesia.

She asked a few more questions; the female ghost stared blankly, unable to recall the past, knowing only that she sought revenge.

Ling Yue quickly shifted tactics, spotting a common large tabby cat, and under the other's astonished gaze asked: "Has anyone gone missing in the village?"

The tabby cat lounged on a stone, its tail flicking and tapping the blue slab, lazily eyeing her.

Ling Yue squatted down: "If you know, please tell me—I've got cat treats."

Since she had a cat, she always carried snacks; the cat didn't know what cat treats were, but when Ling Yue ripped one open, the scent instantly seized its nose.

The big tabby cat sprang up, eyes gleaming, staring at her: "Really?"

Ling Yue held it out; the cat licked it: (☆_☆)

"Delicious! I want to eat! Human, you can relax—I know this area like the back of my paw!"

Its attitude was practically begging for a chest-thump promise, making Ling Yue burst out laughing.

The tabby cat haughtily raised its chin, gazing at its fluffy, chubby yet agile form, leaping over eaves and walls—no problem at all.

The tabby cat glanced back: this human had suddenly appeared at the door; if not for the fragrant cat treat, it wouldn't have bothered to talk.

"You're looking for the village's recent missing persons? Then come with me."

The big tabby cat elegantly stretched, walking ahead with a cat's gait, proud as a queen. The two officers found it odd; the further they went, the more uneasy they felt, when suddenly a piercing scream rang out.

From the other side of the wall came a voice: "Hurry, cut it open, or it'll die right away!"

"Oh dear, his third uncle, even if you swore to heaven today, I still couldn't do it! It's too hard!"

"If you can't do it, I'll kill you—this is my lifeline!"

Another round of wails.

Ling Yue's ears twitched: "Help! Help! It's so painful!"

She immediately sprinted over; the two officers behind her blinked, wondering if it was a sow's cry—why was Advisor Ling so tense?

Before Ling Yue even got close, she smelled a strong stench of blood; she pushed the door open, and the big tabby cat happened to be perched on the door: "This is the place; their female owner recently went missing."

"No, she seems to have been missing all along..."

Ling Yue blinked; before she could say anything, the cunning big tabby cat had already snatched the cat treat and bolted, vanishing in an instant.

And they, because of their hasty movements, were exposed to everyone's sight; catching a glimpse of her face, all the young people present couldn't help but breathe quickly: "You... you, which family's new bride are you?"

Ling Yue blinked; the two officers followed, panting; they never imagined that one day they'd be unable to match even a seemingly frail woman, and they grew even more admiring: "Advisor Ling."

The old man gripping a pipe slammed it down: "What are you staring at? This is someone from the city!"

The man beside him curled his lip, muttering low: "What's wrong with city folk? I'm not a city person—"

Suddenly his voice cut off, as if something had fixed its gaze on him; a chill ran down his spine, and layers of cold sweat seeped from his back.

No one could see that side; Ling Yue's pupils contracted as the female water ghost pressed her hands against the man's back, the dangling hem continually dripping water that pooled into a small puddle at his feet.

On the other side, the old man stared at him warningly, thick irritating smoke escaping from his nostrils and the gaps between his teeth, the haze swirling.

In the silence, the wail rang out again.

"Ahhh, save me! I don't want to die! I haven't lived enough!"

"Oh my mother, a gang of debt-collecting ghosts… they're killing me with pain!"

The old man, having reacted, sprang up, nearly stumbling, and muttered: "I'm fine, hurry go check on it!"

Ling Yue's gaze involuntarily turned toward the source of the sound—a small house built of cement and red bricks.

Inside, because the sow was having a difficult birth, continuous wails echoed.

The family was sweating profusely; the veterinarian came out covered in blood: "No good, no good! Not even the piglets, let alone the old sow, will make it!"

"I'll curse your crow's mouth, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

The scene instantly descended into chaos; Ling Yue quickly walked to the pigpen's edge, unexpectedly clean.

An old sow in labor, nearly exhausted, lay collapsed on the ground, its swollen belly showing several small bulges writhing; beneath it was a spread-out blanket.

More delicate than a person's.

The sow was utterly desperate; it could feel the piglets inside its belly, yet couldn't deliver them, not knowing what was wrong; even if it were its first time as a mother with no experience, it could sense that if this continued, not only the piglets but even it herself would not survive.

"Wuuu, master, where are you? Master, save me! Giving birth to piglets hurts so much!"

"Save me, save me, save me! My belly… ugh… it's so uncomfortable!"

"Ahhhh, it hurts!"

"Master… master, if you don't come back, I'm going to give birth!"

Seeing that at least one mother and two lives were at stake, while outside the clamor continued, Ling Yue directly said: "I'll handle it!"

Everyone watched her; Ling Yue lowered her eyes: "The piglets' positions in the sow's womb are malpositioned, causing the difficult birth; I've learned how to correct them. If you don't believe me, you can wait for another veterinarian."

The old man wanted to smash his pipe: "Wait? Wait for what crap!"

Even the nearest veterinary station is an hour away; by the time someone arrives, the sow and piglets will be cold!

He didn't dare delay even a moment, nodding directly; those nearby eyed Ling Yue skeptically—even the female veterinarian with blood on both hands couldn't believe her eyes, because she was simply too young.

Thinking that, he shook his head; the old man was definitely going to suffer a big loss!

Yet he didn't notice that beside him, the old man's face was solemn, watching Ling Yue's actions as if evaluating something.

Ling Yue paid no mind, walking straight into the birthing room.

Not just the blanket, she also found several pieces of thick clothing currently being worn in the pigpen—women's style, old and worn.

The sow was on its last breath, lying on the ground yet still warily eyeing her: "You… who are you? Don't touch my master's clothes…"

"Master… will… come back to keep me company…"

Ling Yue's eyes flashed slightly, she was about to speak, when the sow let out a miserable cry again.

Ling Yue placed her hand on its belly, her motion unhurried yet steady; in an instant, the sow's swollen belly twitched, and the miserable cry about to escape its mouth turned into a whimper.

The miraculous sight made everyone stare wide-eyed.

The next moment, the sow exhaled comfortably, its lower abdomen contracted, and one rosy little piglet after another was delivered.

Ling Yue: "Prepare milk or meat broth; after giving birth, it also needs to recover its strength as quickly as possible."

"Ah? Okay, okay, okay!"

The sow, already comfortable, hummed contentedly: "Wuu wuu wuu, you're too kind to me, only slightly less than my owner treats me; once I find my owner, she will surely thank you!"

In the midst of the mixed crowd, Ling Yue lowered her voice, using a sound only they could hear, and asked it: "Who is your owner?"

The sow instantly panicked: "You, you can understand what I'm saying?"

To it, it was nothing short of seeing a ghost in broad daylight—what on earth is happening?

Ling Yue also wanted to say, her eyes flashing slightly as she asked: "The owner you mentioned earlier—have they been living here all along?"